“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” — Jesus (Luke 4:18-19)

Once again you stepped outside your fortress safe and strong and took a chance on loving again risking more heartache and wrong.

You tried your best to touch someone to show them you care. You gave your all, expressing love and laid your spirit bare.

You opened wide your arms of trust exposing a heart oft abused by those who knew little in life but using and being used.

Hurt, once again you retreat inside your fortress safe and strong and reinforce the battlements and hide with drawbridge drawn.

“O Sovereign LORD, you alone know.” (Ezekiel 37:3)
“There’s a place in our walk with the Lord where we must make a decision to submit to the sovereign hand of God even when we don’t have any real answers. What does God see when He looks at our circumstances?
He doesn’t see ruin. He sees revival.
He doesn’t see pestilence. He sees potential.
He doesn’t see death. He sees destiny.
He doesn’t see our falls. He sees our get-ups.” — The Mad Preacher

Adam and Eve would not admit personal blame for their sin. Adam accused Eve and Eve accused the Serpent. (Genesis 3:12)

Eve, the first woman, was easily deceived and couldn’t control her appetite. (Genesis 3:6)

Noah, the last righteous man on earth at the time, was found drunk and sleeping in the nude. (Genesis 9:20-21)

Abraham, the forefather of the faithful, out of fear let other men have their way with his wife on two different occasions. (Genesis 12 and 20)

Sarah, the most gorgeous woman by popular opinion, told her husband to sleep with another woman and then hated her when he did it. (Genesis 16)

Lot offered his two young daughters to a gang of rapists. (Genesis 19)

Job, the epitome of faith, had to deal with a nagging wife. (Job 2:9)

Isaac, who was nearly killed by his father, talked his wife into concealing their marriage. (Genesis 26)

Rebekah was a manipulative wife. (Genesis 27)

Jacob, who wrestled with God, was a big liar. (Genesis 25, 27, 30)

Rachel was a thief who stole her father’s property before running off with her husband. (Genesis 31:19)

Reuben, the pride and firstborn of his dad, Jacob, had an affair with his father’s mistress. (Genesis 35:21)

Moses was the first man to break the Ten Commandments. In rage he threw the tablets down breaking them into little pieces. (Exodus 2, 32:19; Numbers 20:11)

Aaron, the first High Priest who witnessed the power of God through the 10 plagues that devastated Egypt, made an idol for God’s chosen people to worship while Moses was away. (Exodus 32)

Miriam, the songwriter and Moses’ sister, was hungry for power and plotted with Aaron against Moses. (Numbers 12)

Samson, the strongest man who ever lived was literally blinded by love. He became entangled with an adulterous woman whom he allowed to emasculate him. He ended up a blinded prisoner of his enemies and eventually ended his own life. (Judges 16)

Saul, the first king of Israel, lost his marbles. He was apparently psychotic and had manic bursts of anger. He attempted repeatedly murder. He had bouts with deep depression and paranoia. He died in the mist of defeat by falling on his own sward. (1Samuel 16, 18, 19, 31)

David, the great king and psalmist, committed adultery with one of his closest friend’s wife and then had him murdered to cover it up. (2 Samuel 11)

Solomon, the wisest man in the world, had sex with 1,000’s of women. (1 Kings 11) He was also one of the wealthiest men in the world. Yet in later life he concluded that “Everything is meaningless.” (Ecclesiastes 1)

Hosea struggled with the pain of having an unfaithful wife who prostituted herself. This prophet, even as they spoke for God, struggled with impurity, depression, unfaithful spouses, broken families and overwhelming feelings of inadequacies. (Hosea Chapters 1) [i]

Finally, the great Apostle Paul faced a brutal struggle temptation. He said, “I know I am rotten through and through so far as my old sinful nature is concerned. No matter which way I turn I can’t make myself do right. I want to but I can’t.” (Romans 7:18) [ii]

So the next you feel like you’re not good enough for God’s use think about these great men and women of God. Despite all their failings God still used them to shake the foundations of the world and he will the same with you.

Therefore Jesus told them, “The right time for me has not yet come; for you any time is right.” (John 7:6 NIV)

The 13th chapter of 1 Samuel tells about an incident that happened early in the reign of King Saul. The Israelites had declared war on their old enemies the Philistines. It all started when Jonathan, Saul’s son, attacked a Philistine outpost. This daring raid resulted in two things happening. First, it infuriated the Philistines. They rose up against Israel in force with thousands of chariots, charioteers and “soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” (vs.5) Saul’s combined forces consisted of only 3,000 petrified men.

The second thing that happened was that Saul’s army began to melt away. Saul’s men were not exactly happy campers. As word

spread of the massive army that was approaching them, Israel began to wig-out. They began to run and hide. They hid in “caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns.” (vs.6) They were so terrified that verse 7 says, “Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead.” They deserted the very land that was promised to them by God! And what about Saul’s special troops who were gathered with him? How did they react to the threat? They “were quaking with fear.” (vs.7) and soon they too “began to scatter.” (vs.8)

Now, what was King Saul’s reaction to all if this panic? He did something that on the surface looked a good thing to do. He made a sacrifice to the Lord. That was commendable wouldn’t you say? It seemed like the thing to do at the time considering all that was happening. Right? So, he did a good thing… the right thing. Or was it?

Samuel, under the direction of the Lord, told Saul to wait seven days for him. He would then join him and together they would sacrifice and seek the Lord’s direction concerning this national crisis. But Saul gave in to the pressure and the fear that surrounded him and jumped the gun. As Samuel arrived on the appointed day the stench of burning flesh greeted him. “What have you done?” he demanded. (vs.11) Look at Saul’s answer, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So, I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” (vs.11-12)

All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD. (Proverbs 16:2 NIV)

God is much more interested in why we do something than he is in what we do.

Have you ever missed God’s timing because you “felt compelled”? Perhaps you even did what appeared to be a “good” thing, but was it good? What was your motivation? Why did you do it? Did you act in faith by responding to God’s leading and his timing? Or did you give in to pressure or even give into impatience?

In Saul’s case he was substituting ritual for faith and obedience. He allowed the pressure of his situation to force his hand rather than choosing to wait for God’s timing. It’s possible for a good thing to be the wrong thing. Making a sacrifice to the Lord was a good thing, but in Saul’s case it was the wrong thing because the timing was off and his motivation was amiss. Doing a good thing our way rather than God’s way is always sin.

Once, Jesus’ brothers tried to force his hand by offering him political advice. They said, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do. No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” (John 7:3-4) Jesus’ answer was simple. To paraphrase: “It’s not time yet.” He said. “Anytime is alright with you, but as for me, I go by God’s watch.”

But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always. (Hosea 12:6 NIV)

Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25 NIV)

It saddens me to think of the times that I miss God simply because my timing was off. I missed out on God’s best for my life because of my impatience or giving into pressure. Then, I’ve had to go back to square one. I did that too many times! Don’t act so innocent. If the truth were known, I bet you have done the same. I only hope that over the years I’ve learned my lesson. To be honest though in the long run only time will tell. Thankfully, however, God remembers that I am dust (Psalms 103:14) and His mercies are new every morning. Boy, am I glad for that!

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. (Lamentations 3:21-26)